Locking device for motor-vehicles.



, H.' 5. DAVIS. LOCKING DEVICE FDR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED `MAY I5, |916. L

Patented Aug. 1-, 1916.

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HARRY E. DAVIS, OF HYATTSVILLE, MARYLAND.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented mig. 1, wie.

Appli-cation led May 15, 1916. Serial No. 97,645.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, HARRY E. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hyattsville, Maryland, have `invented oertain new and useful Improvements in Locking Devices for Motor-Vehicles, of Whichl The object of the present invention is to provide a locking device by which the automobile will be rendered absolutely immovable, and I have aimed to accomplish this result in aV very simple manner.

The invention includes the novel construction hereinafter described and `particularly defined by the appended claims, several embodiments of said invention being illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 4l is a sectional elevation of an emergency brake pedal showing one form of my locking device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken ltransversely through the brake lever and'ratchet bar. Fig, 3 is a detail view of the locking bolt. Figs. ,f-l, 5 and 6 are respectively a side elevation, a ,plan and a transverse section of a modified form of bolt. and Fig. 7 is a view of a still further modification.

In these drawings the numeral l designates the floor board of the ordinary automobile which is usually, in machines having this type of emergency brake, provided with a metal plate 2 having a slot through which the brake lever projects, such lever being indicated at 3 and being designed to operate the brakes in the ordinary or any desired manner.

The brake lever 3 is depressed to apply the brake by a foot treadle or pressure plate 4, which is connected to the end of the lever 3 by a pivot, and in order to hold the lever in brake applying position the plate l carries, rigidly attached thereto, a ratchet bar 6, provided with teeth 6n adapted to engage a dog or projection 2 formed on or carried by plate 2 at the lower end of the slot therein.

Bars 3 and`6 are concentric with an intervening space 6 and Within this space I insert a locking bolt 7. In Fig. l the brake lever is shown yas depressed to apply the brakes, being held in brake applying position by the engagement of ratchet bar 6, and dog 2 above referredto. To release the brake it is necessary to rock the foot piece 4 on its pivot and swing ratchet bar' 6 upwardly until the teeth are-disengaged from the dog. This however cannot be done while the locking bolt 7 is in place as shown in Fig. l, as will be obvious, and thus the automobile is eiiectually held against movement by an unauthorized person.

In Figs. l to 3 I have shown the bolt as provided with a shank adapted to lie in the space between the levers, and having lateral projections b at one end to bear against the levers at one side, the opposite end oit' the bolt being flattened and provided'with an eye or opening c to receive a padlock 8 as indicated in Fig. 2.

Inthe form shown'in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 I employ a wedge piece 7 a as the bolt or member designed to pass between the bars 3 and 6 and thereby render the said member 'auto matically adjustable or adaptable to variations in the width of the space between said bars 3 and 6. A substantially Ushaped or forked member 8 has arms 8a adapted to bear against the sides of bars 3 and 6 in opposition to the thicker edge of the weflge,'said arms beingnon-rotatably connected. with the shank of said wedge member. A' Doit '9.(is screwed into the threadedbase in the wedge member and passes through an opening in the head 8b of the forked member. When the wedge me `iber has been placed between the bars 3 and'ti, therforked member in place and the bolt screwed into the lthreaded bore, as shown in' Fig. f1. the arms of said forked member are pressed against the'faces of bars '3 and 6, thus draw/ing said welge4 member lirmly into locking lposition.

A key piece 10 is mounted in the shank ofA 'the bolt to have a limited sliding movement thereon between the eye Quand the head 8b of the forked member, and said \key piece has means adapted to'intertock withtlfe head of the forked member such .as'one or more projections 10a, to engage a corresponding groove or recess (or recesses) in said head 81.

Said key piecealso has lianges 1 0- adapted.

to engage or lie on opposite sides of the of the bolt: While the bolt is being sore'wed'in I n Fig. 7 I have shown a still furtherinodication. In this form I ,secure two staples 12 and 13 to the Hoor boards vand use ya locking bolt 14 having one end adapted to be passed into the loop of staple'12 and having its other end provided with an eye or loop adapted to be passed overstaple 13 and held thereto by padlock 8, said staples being.

so placed in the floor boa-rd as to bring the locking Ybolt against the. ratchet bar 6 when held in brake applying position through its engagement with the dog a2, thereby pre- 4venting the release of said ratchet bar so vlong as the locking bolt is held in position.

Having thus vdescribed nlry invention what I claim is.:

1. In combination a brakelever, ,a foot piecefpivoted theretmm. ratchet bar rigidly carried by said foot piece and extendingsubstantially parallel with said brake lever, a

fixed dog with which said ratchet bar engages, and a locking bar insertible between said brake lever andratchet bar to hold said ratchet bar in engagementwith said dog.

2. In combination'a brake lever, a foot piece pivoted thereto, 'a'ratchet bar rigidly carried by said foot piece and extending substantially parallel with said brake lever,-a fixed dog with which. said `ratchet bar engages, and a Wedge shaped locking bar insertible between said brake'lever and ratchetV ratchety bar to ho'ld said ratchet bar in e'ngagement with said dog, a forked member slidably carried by said wedge shaped locking bar, 'a screw bolt for moving said forked member on said locking bar, a shiftable key piece for keying said bolt'to said forked member, and a lock for holding said key v piece in keying position.`

In testimony whereof, 'I' aiix my signature.

HARRY E. DAVIS.

` Copies of this v'patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing `the Commissioner of intents. i Washington, D. C. 

